Hurting the Heart of God

The Degradation of Mankind

A. The Apostasy of the Day — (Vs. 1-2)

“They took them wives of all which they chose”.

Matthew 24:37–39 — 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Not only was the earth filled with Apostasy during Noah’s Day but it was also filled with Anarchy.

B. The Anarchy of the Day — (Vs. 4-5, 11)

“RENOWN” — Hebrew “shēm” — means reputation, report, a name for oneself.

What was the reputation, the report the name that they had? You have to look no further than verse 5 for the answer.

These men had made a name for themselves of being wicked men! Wickedness was great in the earth!

And the Bible goes on to say that that, “the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually!”

That word “IMAGINATION” — Hebrew “yēṣer” — means inclination, mind, device, design or plot!

Everything that ran through man’s mind was evil continually!

The root word that “yeser” comes from is the word we looked at last week which meant to form into shape, to mold especially speaking as of a potter.

Adrian Rogers — There were new philosophies that were being spawned. There were new ideas that were being molded. Actually, men were fashioning, they were molding wicked philosophies. And with these wicked philosophies, they were espousing filthy causes. What they were doing was trying to reshape and remold society. They were trying to get perversion and vice and immorality to become the acceptable norm. To say what was good was bad, and what was bad was good and to get the people of that day to be molded into their mold.

Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Sounds an awful lot like the day and time in which we are living today, doesn’t it?

The days in which Noah was living were days of Apostasy, they were days of Anarchy and also they were days of Apathy!

C. The Apathy of the Day

Going back to what Jesus told us in Matthew 24: 38-39 — 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

Until the very day that Noah entered the ark and God shut the door, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage.

They had no time for God! They had no time for the message that Noah had been preaching! There was a lack of interest and concern for the warning of judgement that was about to befall them!

And the same goes for the day and time in which we live!

We preach of Christ’s return. We preach of end times and the tribulation period and how horrible things will be. We preach that there is a Heaven to gain and a hell to shun but there is no interest in the things of God! There is no interest in Christ! There is no interest in what befalls mankind once this life is over and done with!

People are more worried about what football game is on the TV or what deal is going on at the local mall. They have no time for God and one day, just as God did in Noah’s day, He will say, “come on children, it’s time to go” and he’s going to shut the door and the rain of judgement shall begin to fall but it will be too late for all those on the outside of the ark for the door shall be sealed and no one else shall enter therein!

Friend, you better make sure this morning that you’re heeding the word of God! You better make sure that you’re heeding the call of God and you better make sure that you’re right with God so that when that time comes, and God says “that’s it, come on, it’s time to board the ship of salvation,” you won’t be left outside when the door closes and that good ole gospel ship leaves the harbor!

You better stop worrying what’s going on in the world and worry about where you’re going to spend eternity when this world is gone, Amen!

Which leads us to our next point; The Declaration of God.

The Declaration of God — (Vs. 3, 12-13)

After seeing the wickedness of man and how far he had strayed God said, “that’s it! I’ve had enough! I’m about to put an end to this place!”

He says here in Verse 3, “my spirit will not always strive with man.”

That word “STRIVE” — Hebrew “dûwn” — means to contend, to plead.

God pleaded with man to do the right thing to follow His ways and statutes but mankind was bound and determined to go his own way!

So, God said, fine, I’ll just put an end to it. He gave man 120 more years to change his ways while Noah was building the ark. He allowed Noah to preach to these people for 120 more years, yearning deep down inside that man would turn from his wickedness and follow after righteousness but it was not so.

1 Peter 3:18–20 — 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

2 Peter 2:5 — And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

I believe for the next 120 years Noah preached his heart out but to no avail!

As I was studying on this a very somber thought came to mind…many times we preachers hit spiritual slumps where we don’t see anyone come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

And I’m gonna be honest, sometimes it takes a toll on a man’s psyche, his spiritual drive and you begin to wonder if you’re doing something wrong, ya know?

But then as I was reading and studying this yesterday, this thought came to mind…poor Noah went 120 years without seeing a single person come to know God!

Not one single person! But he stayed faithful! He stayed true to his beliefs. He stayed true to his God!

You know what maybe you’re sitting here this morning and there’s someone you’ve been working on. There’s someone you’ve been talking to about being saved.

What I want to say to you this morning is don’t give up! Stay true to God. Stay true to His Word. Walk with God and know that if that person never comes to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ that you did your part!

So, we’ve seen the Degradation of Mankind & the Declaration of God, now, let’s look at the Disappointment & Displeasure of God.

The Disappointment & Displeasure of God — (Vs. 5-7)

The Bible says that because the wickedness of mankind was great and because his mind was continually set on doing evil, it repented the Lord that He had made man on earth and it grieved Him at His heart.

This is where the title of today’s message came from.

That word “REPENTED” — Hebrew “nāḥam” — means to be sorry.

God was sorry that He had made mankind. His greatest creation had turned their backs on Him and it hurt Him to the core!

It grieved Him at His heart!

I’ve been in Church my whole life. Read the Bible through many times over studying for Sunday’s sermons. I’ve known God and the love of God as far back as I can remember but this week as I was reading through our Bible plan and meditating on it…this verse hit me more than anything I read!

I’ve never noticed this verse and the implicit impact our sin has on God.

I mean, yes I know that God is hurt and the Spirit is grieved when we sin against Him but I don’t think I have ever just set and thought deeply on the effect that our sin has on God.

The Bible tells us here that “it grieved Him at His heart!”

The word “GRIEVED” — Hebrew (ʿāṣab) — means to anger, to displease, to hurt.

The sins of mankind, God’s greatest, most prized, most loved, creation hurt Him at His heart.

The word “grieve” is a love word. You don’t grieve someone you don’t love.

The best way in my mind to think of it is to think of my children. I love them with all my heart and want nothing but the best for them but when they make silly mistakes or act out in a manner unbecoming it hurts me.

It angers me but more than anger it hurts me at my heart because I know it’s not how I’ve raised them. I know it’s not what I’ve taught them.

And that’s what we do to God every time we sin against Him. We hurt the heart of God!

Man, when I read that this week and I began to think on the simple thought that God is not some cosmic being that just sits high and looks low and pours out His judgment and wrath upon this world but rather He’s a lot like us; He has a heart; He has feelings; He loves more than we could ever love and He hurts more than we could ever hurt, that really hit home with me.

And to think that my actions, what I do on a daily basis, what I say to people and on Facebook and to the passer by in Walmart, who walks in my office at work, has a profound effect on the heart of God, it really opened my eyes.

And my prayer is that it will open your’s as well!

I don’t know what’s going on in your life this morning. I don’t know what you’re going through. I don’t know what you’ve been through growing up or how you’ve been treated by this corrupt, cruel world.

But what I do know is this…God loves you; whoever you are, whatever you’ve done and whatever it is that you’re going through…GOD LOVES YOU and only wants the best for you!

He wants a relationship with you. He wants to teach you. He wants you to rely on Him. He wants to care for you. He wants to lift you up when you’re feeling low. He wants to carry you wherever you go!

Why?

Because you are His greatest creation!

Don’t ever forget that! You are His greatest creation!

And when you disobey and go your own way, God knows it’s not going to bode well for you and that you are going to get hurt throughout the process and therefore it hurts Him as well!

What a profound thought to think that when I hurt, God hurts! My sin hurts God’s heart because ultimately He knows it’s going to hurt me!

Really puts things into perspective doesn’t it!

Closing

This morning, my prayer for the saved is that your eyes have been opened to the effects your actions have on God.

Maybe you’re here and you’ve been going your own way and not God’s way. I hope you see that your way will lead to nothing good but heartache and pain for yourself and for God.

And I would urge you this morning to stop hurting the heart of God!

Maybe you’re sitting here this morning and you’ve never come to know God. You’ve never accepted His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Lord and Savior.

What you need to know is there’s coming a day when God will no longer strive with man.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He heeded the call, put his faith in God and trusted in His provision and he was saved.

When all the rest of the world was condemned for their unbelief, Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord!

Now, I’m not sure if you all have heard what the acrostic is for the word GRACE this morning so I want to share it with you as we close.

G-God’s

R-Riches

A-At

C-Christ’s

E-Expense

Now add that in right there in verse 8 and look at what you get.

Noah found God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense!

Isn’t that good?

You see, now I don’t have time to go into all of it, but the ark was a picture, a type, a foreshadowing of Christ to come.

In the ark, Noah was safe and secure and as the waters of judgment rose and all those on the outside were sinking, Noah, safe and sound the inside of the ark, was being lifted up!

That’s a picture what will happen to the Christian when the wrath and judgment of God shall come.

All those safe and secure through the precious blood of Christ shall be lifted up while those who haven’t accepted Him as Lord and Savior shall be cast down into the lake of fire and brimstone where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

Have you experienced God’s G.R.A.C.E. this morning? Have you put your trust in the one and only Son of God?

If not, why don’t you make that move today?

Don’t put it off like the people in Noah’s day. They had no clue when God was going to say that’s it Noah, come on inside and shut the door.

They were all out having a good ole time; they were drinking and partying and sleeping around with one another and all of a sudden the first rain drop fell!

Can you imagine the thought of the people as those first rain drops fell?

What is that? water falling from the sky? Is this what Noah was warning us about?

It probably started out with one, then two, then three, then the bottom fell out of and before you know it, the waters began to rise and people began to start worrying and then I can just see them, herds, droves of people running towards the ark that Noah had built!

Banging on the door, screaming for Noah to let them in! Begging, pleading, scratching, clawing but it was too late!

You see, Noah had no control over that door! The Bible tells us that God shut the door sealing Noah and his family inside.

Friend, when God shuts the door that’s it!

Don’t let the door get shut on you today!

Come while there’s still time!